Sunday, November 4, 2012

Pen Calloway has just received an email that will change her life. Six years have passed since her two closest friends decided that it would be best for the threesome to split apart and lead separate lives. Now Pen is alone, living with a young daughter, the product of an affair that went south. When Pen opens her inbox and finds an urgent message from her old friend Cat, she quickly decides that she must attend her ten-year high school reunion and meet Cat there. What Pen discovers when she arrives is that Will, the last piece of that triangular friendship, also got an email from Cat. But things are not what they seem, and when Will and Pen begin an earnest search for the woman who sent the email, they must team up with a man whom they both have negative feelings for while also realizing that there are some unresolved feelings between each other as well. The journey they take is both physical, mental and metaphorical, and along the way, each of them will come to see how life can rip people apart but can also glue them back together again. As Pen and Will discover, some things cannot be changed but others cannot be stopped. In this novel of searching and discovery, de los Santos takes her readers on a journey through the narrow passages of the heart—the place where things fall apart, and fall back together again.

This was my first time reading a book by de los Santos. Though I’ve heard many rave over her talents as an author, including Sandy and Heather, I’ve not gotten the chance to read any of her work before now. Most reviewers have decided that this is not her strongest book, and my sentiments on it lead me to believe that if de los Santos can write better than this, she must indeed be amazing. I’m looking forward to exploring more of her work in the future.

De los Santos has a great grasp of character. Though it took me awhile to warm up to Pen and Will, and though I thought Cat was extremely selfish, I eventually felt a lot of attachment to the first two. They had an easy relationship fit, kind of like putting on your most comfortable jeans. They had a huge psychic bond, and though this bothered others in the novel, it made me realize that they were made for each other. Of course, it wasn’t that easy because of their history, but overall, I felt that these were two people who really *got* one another. There were levels of dysfunction surrounding them, but what remained pure were their intentions towards each other and Cat.

Cat was the wildcard in this situation. She never really felt fleshed out to me, and despite the fact that Will and Pen loved her so much, she seemed both manipulative and a little cold. I know that I wouldn’t have gone to the ends of the earth to track her down, that’s for sure, and I just didn’t buy into the fact that Pen and Will had been so connected to her. She seemed like a grown-up child, complete with tantrums and very vicious behavior towards her husband—who I frankly thought was too good for her, though he was sort of a schlub. I found her to be a bit repulsive, and wondered why so many people cared so deeply for her when she seemed to care for no one at all but herself.

This is a book that centers around relationships: the kinds we hope and dream of, and the kinds that we overlook. De los Santos has a clear grasp of the myriad of relationships that people can have with each other and the struggles they will go through to maintain those relationships. Like children, Pen and Will avoided the obvious, and this set them up for a lot of strife and a few heart-wrenching moments. In the end, what is lost has been found, but there are no easy answers for the elusive Cat. This didn’t really bother me because she felt like an extemporaneous character and really brought out negative feelings from me.

If you’re in search of a story of journeys taken and difficult paths that are overcome, this is a book you will want to read. Though all the characters aren’t as loveable as one would hope, I think de los Santos gives her readers a lot of warmth and emotion in the characters that she chooses to focus on in this book. As I said before, I’ll be reading more from this author. Her gentle story had a lot of bite, and it reached me in a way that not many books do. Recommended.

About the Author

Marisa de los Santos is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning poet with a Ph.D. in literature and creative writing. She lives in Delaware with her husband, David Teague, and their son and daughter.

Her first two books are absolute MAGIC (read Love Walked In, then Belong To Me). And if you can do them on audio, even better. Because of this, I was a little disappointed in this book but it was still really good. Her first two books are just a tough act to follow.

It sounds like this book is intriguing though a few aspects were not fully developed. I don't know if it will work for me, for exactly the reasons you mentioned but if I come across this book, I will give it a try.

It's interesting that you didn't think Cat was a full character! I had some problems with the book, but I thought Cat's characterization was very good -- I feel like I've known that exact sort of person in my life before. You like them because they're lovable, even though they do things that make you sad and angry.

Anyway YES. Marisa de los Santos's other books are miles more wondrous than Falling Together and YES she is indeed amazing. I think you would love Love Walked In. It's one of my favorite books in all the land.

I've never read de los Santos, either, but based on your review above and Jenny's comment here, I think I must add her to my list! I shall look into Love Walked In. That's not a book title that would generally get my attention, but if you like this author so much and Jenny likes that book so much, then it seems like one I should try.

I only read one of her books (Love Walked In) and absolutely adored it. I have heard many says that this isn't her strongest but I still plan on read it. I'm glad to hear you liked it, and I think you should absolutely give her other books a try!

I think I liked the one because I love the idea of having such a deep friendship with a group of people. I agree with your thoughts about Cat but then I also know that there are people that other people just gravitate to, sometimes inexplicably. It would have helped the story if Jason hadn't turned out to be such a sclub, if readers could have understood what made Cat marry him in the first place.